Ireland is one of the best places in the world to play links golf. The courses are wild, the welcome is warm and the 19th hole is half the fun. A good golf trip still takes planning, though. Tee times, routes and the driving between courses all have to fit together.
We drive golf groups around Ireland, including many groups from the US. Here's what we've learned about getting it right.
When to go
The main season runs from May to September, when days are long (in June it stays light until around 10pm) and the weather is at its kindest. April and October can be lovely and quieter, but bring waterproofs. In Ireland you'll want those in any month.
Pick a region (or two)
Ireland is small on the map, but trying to play everywhere means long days on the road. Most groups pick one or two regions:
- Dublin and the east coast. Easy to reach from Dublin Airport, with a strong cluster of links courses along the coast, including Portmarnock, Royal Dublin and The Island Golf Club north of the city, and The European Club further south in Wicklow. Good for shorter trips or a few rounds tagged onto a city break.
- The southwest. The bucket-list stretch: Lahinch in Clare, Ballybunion and Tralee in Kerry, and Waterville further south. Adare Manor in Limerick, a parkland course chosen to host the 2027 Ryder Cup, is close by. Shannon Airport is the natural gateway.
- The northwest. Quieter and great value. Courses like County Sligo (Rosses Point), Enniscrone and Carne have dramatic dunes and far fewer visitors.
- Northern Ireland. Royal County Down and Royal Portrush, which hosted The Open in 2019 and 2025, are an easy drive north of Dublin.
Route it sensibly
- Fly in and out of the right airport. For the southwest, flying into Shannon and out of Dublin (or the other way round) saves hours of backtracking.
- Use one or two bases. Packing up the hotel every morning gets old fast. Staying two or three nights in one place and driving to nearby courses is far more relaxing.
- Keep driving days short. Aim for no more than an hour or two between your hotel and the first tee. When a longer transfer is unavoidable, do it on a day with a later tee time or no golf.
- Take the Shannon ferry. Between Clare and Kerry, the car ferry from Killimer to Tarbert crosses the Shannon estuary and cuts out a long drive inland around Limerick.
- Leave a rest day. Five or six rounds in a week is plenty for most groups. A day off for the Cliffs of Moher, a distillery or just a long lunch keeps everyone fresh.
Book tee times early
The famous links are busy in high season, so book your tee times as early as you can, especially for groups. Many of the best-known clubs ask visitors for a handicap certificate, so check each club's requirements when you book. Caddies can usually be booked through the club too, and they're well worth it for local knowledge on your first time round.
Getting your group and clubs around
This is where a lot of trips go wrong. Hire cars mean someone always has to drive (and skip the pint), golf bags rarely fit, and nobody knows the narrow back roads. With a chauffeured vehicle:
- You're met at arrivals and your clubs and luggage are loaded for you.
- The driver knows the routes, the clubhouses and how long each transfer really takes.
- Everyone can enjoy the 19th hole and the evening in the pub.
Our fleet runs from an 8-seat Ford Tourneo and a 10-seat Mercedes Sprinter for smaller groups up to full-size coaches for big societies, so there's room for everyone's bags.
A sample week in the southwest
- Day 1: Arrive at Shannon, transfer to your hotel and take it easy.
- Day 2: Lahinch.
- Day 3: Adare Manor or a second Clare course, then a free evening.
- Day 4: Cross on the Shannon ferry to Kerry and play Ballybunion.
- Day 5: Tralee, or a rest day touring the Dingle peninsula.
- Day 6: Waterville or another Kerry links.
- Day 7: Transfer back to Shannon or on to Dublin for your flight.
Every group is different, so treat this as a starting point. We're happy to help you shape the route around your tee times.
Header photo: Adare Manor, SullyShave (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons).